Mahama Elected in Ghana, Opposition Challenges Results

Incumbent President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana has been declared the winner of the closely fought Ghanaian presidential election. The Ghanaian electoral management body (EMB) announced that Mahama had garnered 50.7% of the vote vs. Akufo-Addo who got 47.74%. The opposition has however refused to concede defeat, claiming that the president’s party colluded with the EMB to fix the results.

The BBC reports that police had to disperse crowds who had gathered near the EMB’s offices. Tanks remain on guard around the area. Most observers considered the elections to have been conducted in a free and fair manner.

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Spain mounted a sweeping anti-terror operation on Friday after a suspected Islamist militant drove a van into crowds in Barcelona, killing 13 people before fleeing, in what police suspect was one of multiple planned attacks.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Japan will step up their defense cooperation to deal with the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea as tensions in East Asia remain high, officials from the two allies said on Thursday.

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela will hunt down and jail leaders of violent protests that have rocked the country since April, its new top prosecutor said on Thursday, a day before a hate crimes law was expected to be approved despite fears that it will be used to crush dissent.